A method to create qualitative images of thick oil in oil spills on water using near-infrared imaging spectroscopy data. It relies on the organic absorption features of chemical bonds in aliphatic hydrocarbons. The data cannot give oil volume estimates.

With the addition of elevation and land use and land cover data, we can show population density on a map much more effectively than if we simply color census areas. The resulting maps should allow better planning, especially in highly developed areas.

Mathematical model of the groundwater system in this area includes 13 types of data and spans multiple aquifers over more than a century. This enables us to assess the quantity of groundwater, where and how it is being used, and how pumping affects it.

To expand data functionality and capabilities for users of The National Map of the U.S. Geological Survey, data sets for six watersheds and three urban areas were converted from the Best Practices vector data model formats to Semantic Web data formats.

Analysis of sea-surface temperature in the Indian Ocean shows that warming correlates with east African rainfall; the effect on atmospheric convection and precipitation over the Indian Ocean is greater than that associated with El Niño (ENSO).